1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to mounting units, such as rack cabinets in which rack sub-systems are mounted, and more particularly to identifying the mounting locations of such rack sub-systems in such mounting units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many organizations have found the need to have a large number of computers. Even small businesses may have a handful of servers to run their internal operations, whereas large businesses may literally have hundreds or thousands of servers running in their data centers. In such instances, the typical mini-tower or desktop form factor of computers would occupy large amounts of expensive space. Therefore, organizations typically employ rack cabinets to hold these types of computers.
A rack cabinet can be generally defined as a frame or a cabinet into which computers and their components and peripherals are mounted. The computers and the components and peripherals, which may include file servers, network switches and hubs, and so on, are generally referred to as rack sub-systems. Furthermore, the term sub-system is more generally referred to as any type of module or other entity that can be mounted in a mounting unit, such as a rack cabinet. Most rack cabinets have a standard width of nineteen or twenty-three inches. Rack sub-systems are bolted to the frames of the rack cabinets, or slide onto shelves of the cabinets.
A given rack cabinet has a specific height that determines the number of rack sub-systems that can be mounted into the cabinet. Rack sub-systems come in varying heights, usually indicated as a multiple or a fraction of a standard rack unit (RU, or U) of 1.75 inches. A 2U rack sub-system, for example, occupies 3.5 inches of the height of a rack cabinet, whereas a half-U rack sub-system occupies 0.875 inches of the cabinet""s height. Typical rack cabinets may range from a few feet in height, to as high as eight or more feet in height.
For large organizations having data centers in which thousands of rack sub-systems may be mounted in tens or hundreds of rack cabinets, a problem can develop in determining which components are mounted in which cabinets, and which cabinets have space available for mounting additional sub-systems. This problem is complicated by the fact that management of the rack sub-systems is typically accomplished remotely by information technology (IT) administrators, in a different room of the same building in which the data center is located, in a different building in the same location as the data center, or in a completely different location. Therefore, it is not always convenient or practical for the IT administrators to visit the data center to conduct inventory.
The usual solution is for a manual accounting of the data center to be performed on a periodic basis. The IT administrators may employ a hand-drawn map, for instance, and make a note of which sub-systems occupy which rack cabinets. This process is time-consuming and costly, however, as well as being prone to error. Furthermore, the sub-systems that occupy the rack cabinets may change over time, as sub-systems are removed, and new sub-systems are added. This can also impact the accuracy of the accounting of the data center.
For these described reasons, as well as other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.
The invention relates to identifying the mounting locations of sub-systems in mounting units. A system of the invention includes a mounting unit, one or more sub-systems, one or more active indicators, and one or more sensors. The mounting unit has a number of sub-system mounting locations. Each sub-system is mounted in a corresponding sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit. Each active indicator has an indicator mounting position on either the mounting unit or one of the sub-systems. Each sensor has a sensor mounting position similarly on either the mounting unit or one of the sub-systems, and also detects indication from a corresponding active indicator. The active indicators and the sensors cooperatively function to identify the corresponding sub-system mounting location of each sub-system in the mounting unit.
A method of the invention includes indicating by an active indicator mounted on a sub-system mounted in a sub-system mounting location of a mounting unit. A sensor mounted on the mounting unit and associated with the sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit detects the indication by the active indicator. The sub-system is then associated with the sub-system mounting location, based on the sensor detecting the indication by the active indicator.
An article of manufacture of the invention includes a computer-readable medium and means in the medium. The means is for indicating by an active indicator of an active indicator-sensor pair mounted to a mounting unit for reflection by a reflector mounted on a sub-system mounted in a sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit opposite to the active indicator-sensor pair. The means is further for detecting by a sensor of the active indicator-sensor pair the reflection to associate the sub-system with the sub-system mounting location of the mounting unit.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.